Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to
comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed
by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.

Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean Fruit Fly) - APHIS Establishes Quarantine in the Half Moon Bay Area of San Mateo County, California

Date posted: 02/06/2018

Contact: John Stewart, National Fruit Fly Policy Manager, at 919-855-7426

Effective November 22, 2017, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine in the Half Moon Bay area of San Mateo County, California. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from this area.

On November 14, 2017, CDFA and San Mateo County program staff trapped the first adult male Medfly in the area of Half Moon Bay, California. CDFA confirmed an additional male Medfly on November 22, 2017, triggering the federal and state quarantine. Currently, the quarantine area encompasses approximately 56 square miles. APHIS is working with CDFA and the San Mateo County Agriculture Commissioner’s office to respond to these detections following program survey, treatment, and quarantine protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of medfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas: